1 Wemka ke uDavide apho, wazisindisela emqolombeni waseAdulam. Beva abakhuluwa bakhe nendlu kayise yonke, behla baya kuye khona.
2 Abuthelana kuye onke amadoda axinekileyo, namadoda onke anamatyala, namadoda onke anezikrokro; waba ngumthetheli wawo. Aba kuye amadoda akumakhulu amane.
3 UDavide wemka khona, waya eMizpa kwaMowabhi, wathi kukumkani wakwaMowabhi, Makhe baphume ubawo noma, bahlale nani, ndide ndazi into aya kundenzela yona uThixo.
4 Wabazisa phambi kokumkani wakwaMowabhi; bahlala naye yonke imihla abesemboniselweni uDavide.
5 Wathi uGadi, umprofeti, kuDavide, Uze ungahlali emboniselweni; hamba uye ezweni lakwaYuda. Wahamba ke uDavide, waya ehlathini leHerete.
6 Weva uSawule ukuba uyaziwa uDavide, namadoda abenaye. USawule ebehleli eGibheha phantsi komtamariske osemmangweni, intshuntshe yakhe isesandleni sakhe, abakhonzi bakhe bonke bemi ngakuye.
7 Wathi uSawule kubakhonzi bakhe ababemi ngakuye, Khanive, nyana bakaBhenjamin, unyana kaYese woninika amasimi nezidiliya nonke niphela yini na; anenze abathetheli-mawaka nabathetheli-makhulu nonke niphela yini na;
8 ukuba nje nonke niphela nindicebe, kungabikho namnye uyityhilelayo indlebe yam ukunqophisana konyana wam nonyana kaYese, kungabikho namnye kuni ubuhlungu ngenxa yam, ayityhilele indlebe yam ukuba unyana wam umvusile umkhonzi wam, ukuba andilalele, njengoko kunjalo namhla?
9 Waphendula uDowegi umEdom, obemiswe phezu kwabakhonzi bakaSawule, wathi, Ndimbonile unyana kaYese efika eNobhi, kuAhimeleki, unyana ka-Ahitubhi.
10 Waza yena wambuzela kuYehova, wamnika umphako, wamnika nekrele likaGoliyati umFilisti.
11 Wathumela ukumkani, wambiza uAhimeleki unyana ka-Ahitubhi, umbingeleli, nendlu yonke kayise. Ababingeleli ababeseNobhi beza bonke kukumkani.
12 Wathi uSawule, Khawuve, nyana ka-Ahitubhi. Wathi yena, Ndilapha, nkosi yam.
13 Wathi uSawule kuye, Yini na ukuba nindicebe, wena nonyana kaYese, umnike isonka nekrele, umbuzele kuThixo, ukuba asuke andilalele, njengoko kunjalo namhla.
14 UAhimeleki wamphendula ukumkani, wathi, Ngubani ke kubakhonzi bakho bonke othembeke njengoDavide, umyeni kukumkani, onokungena ephakathini lakho, ozukileyo endlwini yakho?
15 Ndiyaqala yini na namhla ukumbuzela kuThixo? Makube lee oko kum; ukumkani makangamthwalisi lutho umkhonzi wakhe lo, nendlu yonke kabawo ngokuba umkhonzi wakho lo akazi lutho kuyo yonke le nto, nokuba loluncinane, nokuba lolukhulu.
16 Wathi ukumkani, Uya kufa ufe, Ahimeleki, wena nendlu yonke kayihlo.
17 Wathi ukumkani kwizigidimi zakhe ezibe zimi ngakuye, Jikani, nibabulale ababingeleli bakaYehova; kuba nesabo isandla sinoDavide, nangokuba babesazi oko wabalekayo yena, abayityhilela indlebe yam. Abavuma abakhonzi bokumkani ukusa isandla sabo, baxabele kubabingeleli bakaYehova.
18 Wathi ukumkani kuDowegi, Jika wena, uxabele kubabingeleli. Wajika ke uDowegi umEdom, waxabela yena kubabingeleli, wabulala ngaloo mini amashumi asibhozo anamahlanu amadoda enxibe iefodi yelinen emhlophe.
19 NeNobhi, umzi wababingeleli, wayitshabalalisa ngohlangothi lwekrele, ethabathela kwindoda ase kumfazi, ethabathela kwiintsapho ase kwiintsana, neenkomo, namaesile, neegusha, ngohlangothi lwekrele.
20 Kwasinda unyana wamnye ka-Ahimeleki unyana ka-Ahitubhi, ogama belinguAbhiyatare; owabaleka walandela uDavide.
21 UAbhiyatare wamxelela uDavide, ukuba uSawule ubabulele ababingeleli bakaYehova.
22 Wathi uDavide kuAbhiyatare, Bendisazi kwangaloo mini, ukuba, ekho nje uDowegi umEdom, uya kumxelela kakade uSawule. Ndim obulalise imiphefumlo yonke yendlu kayihlo.
23 Hlala nam, musa ukoyika; ngokuba ofuna umphefumlo wam ufuna umphefumlo wakho; ngokuba ugcinakele, unam nje.